-Originally published 9/18/20-
Week 2 Picks: 7-1 (First week with Power 5 teams)
This week is largely void of major games with a handful of ranked teams playing weaker non-conference opponents. If you have fall house chores to get done or want to hit the cider mill early, this is the week. Just check out Miami @ Louisville Saturday night. The Cards will probably host College Game Day as the most competitive game on the slate. The SEC joins the football party next in Week 4.
Tulsa (0-0) @ #11 Oklahoma St (0-0) – Noon, ESPN
Originally post-phoned due to Covid concerns, OKST RB and former Heisman runner up Chuba Hubbard is set to run wild. Exploding for over 2,000 yards and 21 TDs and passing on the NFL last season, Hubbard returns to push the Cowboys towards a playoff spot. QB Spencer Sanders (2,065 Yds 16 TDs, 11 INTs) is only a sophomore and top receivers Tylan Wallace (53 REC, 903 YDS, 8 TDS) and Dillon Stoner (52 REC, 599 YDS, 5 TDS) are also back to complete a dangerous offense. Tulsa always fields a potent passing offense, but they won’t keep pace, nor be able to stop the Cowboys offense.
Tulsa 14 Oklahoma St 42
#19 Louisiana (1-0) @ Georgia State – Noon, ESPN2
The Ragin Cajuns pulled of a major upset at Iowa State last week, the first on the road against a top-25 team, thanks in part to a kickoff and punt return for touchdowns. Louisiana’s high powered rushing attack was slowed as both defenses were the story of the game (less than 600 yards of offense combined). Georgia State is no pushover but loses its top QB and RB from last season. The offensive line, top wide outs and several key defensive players return. An upset isn’t out of the question, but Louisiana will have an opportunity to find its offense.
Louisiana 24 Georgia State 13
Syracuse (0-1) @ #25 Pittsburgh (1-0) Noon, ACCN
Pittsburgh got an early tune-against Austin Peay last week and hung 55 points on the clearly inferior team. Pits 42-0 half-time lead led both teams to agree to 10-minute quarters in the 2nd half. Syracuse played a close half against a struggling North Carolina team before getting shut out in the 2nd half. The Orangeman did a decent job against the run, but don’t really have many bright spots. A demolishing of Austin Peay doesn’t tell us much about Pitt either, but the offense was explosive (6 players scored) and they will be adding players that were kept out of the last game because of covid concerns.
Cuse 10 Pittsburgh 31
Austin Peay (0-2) @ #13 Cincinnati (0-0) – Noon, ESPN+
The Bearcats will are coming off back-to-back 11-win seasons. The defense, Coach Luke Fickell’s calling card, will be the staple. QB Desmond Ridder is a duel threat that needs to boost one of the works passing attacks in college football last season. Austin Peay was blanked 55-0 by Pittsburgh last week.
Austin Peay: 0 Cincinnati: 42
#23 Appalachian State (1-0) @ Marshall (1-0) – 1:30pm, CBSSN
App State beat Charlotte last weekend behind RBs Marcus Willimas JR (14 Att, 117 Yds, 1 Td) and Camerun Peoples (13 Att, 102 Yds, 1 Td). It wasn’t a great showing for stud QB Zac Thomas (204 Yds, 1 Td, 1 Int) but he’s due for a rebound. Freshman QB Grant Wells for Marshall threw for 307 Yards and 4 touchdowns in his debut win over Easter Kentucky. Both teams have pieces on defense, but this could be an underrated QB battle.
Appalachian State 38 Marshall 24
South Florida (1-0) @ #7 Nortre Dame (1-0) – 2:30pm, USA
The Irish were not in tip-top shape against Duke last weekend. Senior QB Ian Book is expected to led an Irish roster that’s reloading at many positions to the top of the ACC with Clemson. He struggled (19/21, 263 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT) and RB Williams (19 Att, 112 Yds, 2 Tds) was the highlight of the offense. Defensively they held Duke to less than 75 yards rushing and were only moderately successful in pressuring the QB (Sack or QB pressure in roughly 1 of 4 dropbacks). USC beat The Citadel 27-6 behind two quarterbacks and an incredible muffed punt that didn’t make it out of the endzone. Notre Dame should have an opportunity to get on track here.
South Florida 17 Notre Dame 31
Charlotte (0-1) @ #12 North Carolina (1-0) – 3:30pm, ESPN2
North Carolina struggled to get going against Syracuse last week and pulled away late after RB Javonte Williams scored 3 TDS (14 carries, 57 yds). RB Michael Carter was a great complement (7 carries, 78 yards). Sam Howell finished 25 for 34 for 295-1TD-2INTs and the defense recorded 7 sacks and held the Orangeman to just over 200 yards of offense. Charlotte isn’t a bad team, they lost to a good Appalachian State team Week 1, but this should be nothing more than a tune-up game for UNC before they return to ACC play.
Charlotte 14 North Carolina 42
#14 Central Florida (0-0) @ Georgia Tech (1-0) – 3:30pm, ABC
The Yellowjackets stunned Florida State last week and another win this weekend over UCF would be a huge step for the rebuilding program. True freshman QB Jeff Simms showed promise (24/35, 277 Pass/Yds, 1 Td, 1 Int, 64 Rush/Yds) in bringing the Yellow Jackets down from 10-0 against the Seminoles and the defense made plays, but UCF isn’t FSU. That’s an astounding statement. Coach Josh Heupel has gone 22-4 in his first two years after taking over after Scott Frost’s 13-0 season in 2017. QB Dillon Gabriel (3,653 Yds, 29 Tds, 7 INts ) is only a sophomore and a budding star. The skill positions at RB and WR will have plenty of weapons and the defense will return some key pieces. If Georgia Tech even remains competitive in this game, they might be one of the most interesting teams to keep an eye on going forward.
Central Florida 35 Georgia Tech 10
The Citadel (0-0) @ #1 Clemson (1-0) – 4:00pm, ACCN
Trevor Lawrence rushed for 2 TDs in the first quarter against Wake Forest last weekend. The defense routinely pressured Wake quarterback Sam Hartman (at times only rushing 3) and the Ckemson Tigers polished off a decent Demon Decons team while breaking lots of new starters on both sides of the ball. It’s no problem for Clemson of course, all they do is reload. Even in a pandemic they manage to fit a cupcake in the schedule to solidify the newbies in the lineup before marching to continue ACC play next week.
The Citadel: A little Clemson: A Lot
#17 Miami (1-0) @ #18 Louisville (1-0) – 7:30pm, ABC
Miami struggled mightly in the opener against UAB. E’eriq King didn’t look like the savior an otherwise unimpressive Miami team needed to give it a huge boost. He rushed for 83 yards and a touch and went 16/24, 144 yards and a touch passing. Once the ground game was established (337 total rushing yards) the passing game wasn’t as important, but they’ll need all weapons for the Cardinals. The Cards knocked off an underrated Western Kentucky team and will continue to be a threat in the ACC. QB Micale Cunningham picked up in the 2nd half and finished 19/34 for 343 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT and added 24 yards and TD on the ground. Receivers Dez Fitzparick and Branden Smith both put up 110 yards on 4 receptions each. Louisville’s defense will pressure King and has the ability to slow the run. As much as I’d like to see King explode and get Miami on track, I think Louisville could pound them if things get away late.
Miami 24 Louisville 35
